There are multiple military applications for laser designation and spotting systems. The currently known systems rely on a number of separate instruments for laser designating a target as well as for spotting and/or tracking a laser designation to ensure that the proper target has been acquired and marked. Generally, three to four separate pieces of equipment must be carried by a ground observer to a spotting and designating site within about six to eight kilometers of the target area in order to mark, range and/or track a target to be designated, and then relay information regarding the target to an ordinance delivery system or personnel. The ground observer based laser designator is placed on a separate stand by a user and aimed at the desired target. A separate piece of spotting equipment is utilized to detect the laser designation and then confirm whether the proper target has been designated. Current thermal scopes or night vision equipment is also separately used and have some form of laser spot detection capabilities. Because these thermal scope have laser spot detectors incorporated, they must be used with laser designator during day and night. Each of these pieces of equipment requires separate maintenance, and has a high cost, poor spot detection performance, and weight factor, which is of particular importance to field personnel carrying the equipment to a spotting site.
It would be desirable to provide the current laser designating performance in the 6 to 8 km range while lowering both the cost and weight. It would be further beneficial to add additional capabilities to the same piece of equipment so as to enhance functionality of a portable integrated laser optical target tracker that provides spotting, ranging, marking and tracking capabilities in one lightweight package.